


Through the Valleys and the Stars

by Miss_Abyss



Category: Original Work
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-23
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:08:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24034813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miss_Abyss/pseuds/Miss_Abyss
Summary: tbh idk what to put here. this is just the story of an oc I've had for 9 years and I thought it'd be best to write it all down. tags and other stuff will change as more chapters are added.





	1. One

Being a prince is boring, especially when you're the prince of a peaceful nation. All it consisted of was learning how to run the country and how to be a good King. Damien already knew all about that and he wanted something fun and interesting. His home, Derendia was a large crescent shaped island with a lovely tropical climate with heavy and dense forests on the outskirts. For the past few days Damien had been planning on sneaking out of the castle and into the forests. Since he was young he was always told to stay out of them as they harboured vicious monsters which would show no mercy. Today his teacher was droning on about how important it was to keep up the peaceful nature of Derendia and to prevent war and conflict at all cost. Its not like countries like Toruna or Elenta even gave a shit about the island, all they ever did was farm and fish. Damien looked over at a clock on the wall and saw the time was nearing seven in the evening. The young man stood from his chair. "So sorry to cut this short but I have other things to do, you're dismissed." His words were quick and snappy, leaving his tutor no time to respond as he ran out the door.

The castle was colder than usual, well colder to Damien. His family were from another land and came to the island hundreds of years ago. Their race is one where heat is cold, and cold is heat. Because of that Damien and his father preferred to don thick furs and suede to keep them warm. As Damien headed towards his bedroom, he could overhear a few gaurds discussing Toruna and their King. He had never met King Jacob in person but he had seen him before. The King had pale skin with some black scars on his body with tired looking violet eyes. Apparently King Jacob's younger sister was taken many many moons ago and no one had seen her since. Because of that incident, Toruna had deployed soldiers to every country to keep an eye out for her. When they had come to Damien's father, King Dominic, he had greeted them with open arms and even invited them to stay in the castle. "it's to keep our relation well." Dominic had told his son. That was ten years ago. Damien passed by the throne room and saw his father discussing something with his tutor. Hoping to escape a scolding, he snuck past the room. Thankfully his father had not noticed him. 

Soon he was in his room. To a normal citizen of Derendia, the prince's room is freezing cold. To Damien, it was comfortable. Knowing he didn't have much time to execute his plan, he quickly changed into some thinner clothes and a thick black cape. In all his life, he had never even gotten close to the forest and that was gonna change today. He knew they were dangerous but it didn't sway him. With just the clothes on his back, he threw open the large window and began to climb down the walls. The walls of the castle had thick ivy running along it and as Damien knew from prior experience, it made for the perfect grip for climbing around the castle. He also had perfect knowledge of the gaurd's schedules and at seven pm, there was a shift change which meant a short window of no gaurds around. He quickly climbed down the sides of the castle before the shift was finished changing. Once his feet his the ground, he tied his long periwinkle hair back and darted towards the dense folliage. 

To Damien's luck the forests were fairly close to the castle. What was not in his favour however, was that the forests outside the castle town were darker and scarier than Damien expected. That didn't stop the Prince however, even if he was scared of what he might find, he still ventured ahead. He no doubt knew that he would come out injured as he had tripped many times on the thick roots around the ground. He couldn't tell where he was or where he had come from. The large trees above covered the night sky, making it impossible to see. There were spots that danced around and sounds that made him jump every moment. It had been hours since Damien got lost in the woods and every second was a paranoia filled hell. To his luck he managed to find a clearing with a bit of moonlight peeking through. Damien wasted no time running over and sitting on one of the logs that lay in the middle. He sighed in relief and lay down on one of the logs, starting to fall asleep when he heard a growl come from under him. His eyes shot open and he jolted upwards and off the log. It wasn't a log. The other 'logs' around began to growl as well and backed the Prince against a cliff. "Well, this is it..." Damien said with a shaky voice. "Guess I'll die here..." The monsters snarled and began to close in on him till something wet and hot sprayed across his face. The liquid dripped down onto his lips and he couldn't help taste it. It was no doubt blood, but blood from what?

Everything was silent for a moment before the monsters turned away and began growling at something else. The sound of pain and metal slicing through flesh was the only sound Damien could hear. Just as quickly as the carnage started, it ended. The forest was quiet for a moment before Damien could see a figure walking towards him, the glint of a bloodied sword in their hand. "What country is this?" The person asked. Their voice was feminine and had a very thick Toruien accent on it. Their words sharp and clear but with a sweet and alluring tone to it. He couldn't respond, his heart in his throat and the shock of the encounter still in his mind. The person sighed and sheathed their sword before stepping closer to Damien. "I'm injured and I'd like to know where I am before I pass out." But before Damien could say a thing, the person crumpeled to the forest's floor. The Prince rushed to their side and he felt a sudden rush of bravery as he hooked his arms around their slender waist and began to drag them in a random direction. It took hours before Damien emerged with his saviour from the forest. He began to scream for help and it didn't take long for castle gaurds to assist the prince. 

With their lights, Damien could properly see the person who saved him.The first thing he could see was violet skin and short lavender hair, a tell tale sign of a Toruien Elf. What struck him as odd was the black scars littering her body, didn't Toruiens have white blood? Another thing he saw was her black blood seeping out from one of her eyes. The whole time back to the castle, Damien was silent and focused on helping this girl. If it weren't for her, he'd be dead. The gaurds had offered to carry her many times but Damien refused, saying it was his job to do. It wasn't long till they got back to the castle and took the girl away towards the infirmary. He wanted to go with the girl but the gaurds steered him to the throne room to speak with his father. He walked in and couldn't say a thing, no words would come out. Dominic saw his son covered in blood and ran over to him. "Damien! My son, are you okay? Are you hurt in any way?" Damien could only nod and shake his head. He shakily lowed his head to look at his shirt. It was covered in an almost neon green colored blood as well as the girl's black blood. He looked back at his father before he passed out.


	2. Two

Jay woke up to beeping and hushed voices. She opened her eyes and an immense rush of pain shot through her right eye. Biting back a cry of pain, she quickly shut the eye and put a hand over it, feeling a soft cotton pad over it. She pulled her hand away with confusion. A person came over to her. "Careful child, you've sustained heavy injury to your eye." Jay turned her head to the side, so she could look at the person speaking. He was an older man dressed with a regal air to him, a simple crown resting on top of his short, grey hair. His brown eyes were tired, but they shone with wisdom and great compassion. "You saved my son, Damien, and I can not thank you enough." The elder man bowed slightly before Jay before standing back up and giving her a soft smile. She took a brief glance around the room before sitting up slowly. Once she was up, she lay against the headboard and looked at him. "Sweet child, Derendia is in your debt. A glorious banquet shall be held in your honor."

"What? No." She shook her head, which caused the man's smile to fall. "I'm good. I just wanna heal then leave. Like I was never here." Jay frowned deeply at the man's kindness. She wasn't used to people acting like that towards her, it was definitely foreign. Since she was a preteen she was taught to fend for herself and to trust no one but your team members. Now she had washed up on some island, saved some kid and now his dad is at her feet treating her like a Goddess or something of sorts. "Sorry, I was following a lead on some monsters and I ended up in the forest. Then upon your son. Once I finish my hunt, I'll be gone." There was a slightly sad hint to Jay's tone. She appreciated the kindness but knew she couldn't stay, she had other things she needed to attend to. 

The man frowned softly and looked towards the open window. Jay turned to look as well. The sky was various shades of reds, oranges, and purples with the sun just barely peeking over the horizon. Early morning was her favourite time of day as around that time it felt like the world had come to a stand still. She then took the time to properly check out where she was. It looked like a hospital but smaller. A clinic maybe? She was also hooked up to a few machines and an I.V. which were probably keeping track and monitoring her vitals.

"You are one of the few people I've ever seen with blackened blood." The man remarked as he sat next to Jay, taking her hand gently. There were some scars on her hand from years of fighting. All of the scars that scattered across her body were black, showcasing her blood. "A select few from Toreuna have this shade. Citizens of that nation generally have white blood, of course except for the royal family and the small population of Elentan's who live there." Jay pulled her hand away and covered it, looking away from this kind man. She had assumed that this man was the King of the country judging by his tone and clothes. It immediately made her uncomfortable, she always had an odd feeling around royals. This meant that the kid she saved was actually a Prince. She felt very uneasy and the King could tell this. "Is everything alright?"

Jay threw off the blankets of the bed and began to get out of it. "I... I need to go.. I've overstayed my welcome." Her words were quiet and uneasy. The King frowned and watched her as she began to try and leave. She looked at the IV in her arm and pulled them out. A small bit of blood pooled in the spot where the IV was. "I'll be gone soon." Jay went to the door and opened it, but  as soon as she opened it, it was closed. She turned her head and saw the very tall King holding the door closed. He looked at her with a very sad look. 

"Please, stay. You need to heal. You aren't well child." He pulled his hand from the door and gently ran his hand through her hair. It was rough and tangled up with some dried blood in it, blood from her and the monster she had killed the prior night. The King reached over and picked Jay up, much like he would do when his own son was a small child. He turned and took her back to her bed, before setting her down and calling a medic into the room. "Let us share with you our hospitality. You deserve it." He sat next to her and began to slowly detangle her hair with his hands, making sure he wouldn't hurt her. The medic soon entered the room and upon seeing the IV laying on the floor, they clicked their tongue and got a sterile needle ready. Soon the IV was back in Jay's arm and her hair was thoroughly brushed through. "Rest," He said to her, getting off the bed so she could lay down. "You'll feel better with proper care." Jay lay down on the bed and stared at the ceiling as the King left. As he left, she turned onto her side and stared out the window. Why was the King being so kind to her? Surely saving the Prince wasn't that big of a deal. She sighed softly and shut her eye.

"Jerica, give me strength. What have I gotten myself into...."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Damien woke to his butler opening the blinds and letting the late morning light in. From his bed, he could tell that it was a beautiful day out. He slowly rose from his delicate silken blankets and went towards his desk where his usual morning coffee was waiting for him. Damien took a sip and sighed as he began to thumb through some papers, the events of the previous night seemingly gone from his memory. To the Prince this event was nothing more than a vivid dream. A dream where he went to the forest and passed out, having been brought back in the dead of night by the guards. However, he couldn't stop thinking about the girl who saved him in his dream. Her silver hair which shone lavender in the light, her long lashes which were full enough to make anyone swoon. This distracted Damien long enough for his father to enter the room unnoticed. 

Dominic could tell his son was entranced in one of his usual fantasies. A far off look in his eyes, and a pen hanging out of his mouth as he tapped at his desk. The King shook his head and waved a hand in front of his son's face. This snapped the Prince out of his daze and the pen fell into his cup of coffee. "Ah!" He shouted as the coffee splashed into his face. He groaned and used his sleeve to wipe it off. "Father, you disrupted my daydreaming again..." He looked at Dominic as he whined slightly. Damien was used to his father doing this and yet every time it always resulted in coffee splashing everywhere. He plucked the pen from his cup and set it aside, thankfully this time no ink was on the pen. "Did you need something?" He asked, taking his cup and drinking from it. Dominic laughed a small bit at his son. The boy never failed to make him smile.

"As a matter of fact, I did need something. You are going to be in charge of planning a banquet."

"Excuse me? What?" Damien set his cup down and stared at his father. "Why me? Why do I need to plan a banquet?"

"Watch your tongue Damien," Dominic said with a sharp point to his son, "You need to plan this banquet as a thanks to the Warrior who saved your life. She is in our debt, in  _ your  _ debt. I'd suggest you went to visit her in the Clinic and gave her your thanks."

Damien sat back and frowned. 'So it wasn't a dream then,' he thought of the girl passing out in front of him. It all made proper sense to him. He nearly died the previous night all because he wanted to see the forest. "Sorry father.." He ran a hand through his hair, pushing his bangs back. "I thought that it was just a dream. Is she okay?" His father nodded and he sighed with relief. "She is in my debt. I.. I will put together a banquet worthy of her heroic actions." The Prince finished off his coffee and set the cup down, getting up from his chair and heading to his door. "But I want to see her first."

  
  


The Clinic was dark and quiet, the only sound echoing through the room was the soft snores of the girl sleeping. The sunlight of the morning shone over her sleeping body. Damien walked over and sat on the floor next to her. He took notice of all the scars on her face, the most prominent one stretched across her cheeks and the bridge of her nose. Her whole body was covered in scars and despite that she looked soft and peaceful. A key thing he noticed was that she was missing an ear. Perhaps she lost it in battle. He smiled softly, knowing his saviour was okay. A few moments passed before her eye opened. Her eye was a medium red violet color and shone with flecks of the finest gold that could come from Toreuna. "You're lucky I saved you. Those beasts aren't easy to persuade away." Her tone was straight to the point and she held out a slender hand as she continued to lay there. "My name is Jaycob. You can call me Jay."

"I am Prince Damien Drakon of Derendia and I am in your debt." He took Jay's hand and shook it slightly. Her hand was strong and felt very dry to the touch. When he pulled his hand away, he noticed some dried blood had flaked off onto his hand. With a grimace, he wiped his hand on his pants. At that time, he noticed how dirty she was, dried blood and mud and grime all over. "Ah, well. I think you should have a bath. You're covered in blood and mud." Jay rolled her eye at him. She knew that she did need to clean herself eventually but she decided it would be more fun to taunt the Prince in the meantime.

"What, scared of a little blood?" She retorted, flicking more dried blood in his direction. He screeched in disgust and stood up to get away from the attack. Jay laughed and lay on her back. "Wuss." Damien's face flushed as he stomped past her and to the door. He threw it open and stormed off back to his room, muttering about how rude Jay was and especially in the presence of the Prince of Derendia himself! On his way, he passed a servant and ordered her to  set up a bath for the rude woman in the clinic, and to make sure that  _ all _ of the dried blood was gone. The serving woman nodded and quickly ran off to set up the bath, not wanting to anger the Prince further. On his way to his room, Damien passed by his father who could only laugh at how angry his son was at whatever trivial thing angered him this time. 

Once in his room, Damien went to the bathroom and furiously washed his hands to get rid of the dried remnants of blood. "What insolence." He grumbled to himself. "How dare she do that? Fucking beast." He turned off the taps and dried his hands before grabbing his forgotten cup of coffee and going to the balcony. He took a drink from it and scanned the horizon. The citizens of the town outside the castle walls were up and bustling around. He could see into the town square from his room and watched the market. It always calmed him down when he was mad, seeing the simple lives of those he would one day rule. While he complained often, he wouldn't give up his life for anything or anyone. The people he met never held an impact on his life, especially the countless women he'd take to his bed. Because of that, Damien had set up quite the reputation with the ladies. Many thought the 20 year old Prince would never settle down. Damien even believed that himself. He stood at his balcony for what seemed like an hour before he heard someone next to him. He jolted and nearly spilt his coffee. It was only Jay. She was clean and almost looked like a different person. Her hair looked like precious moonstone in the mid-morning sun and despite her scars, her purple skin looked very soft and smooth. "Oh, it's  _ you _ ." He rolled his blue eyes and leaned against the balcony.

Jay laughed and shook her head. "What? Not happy to see me now that I'm free of Aere blood?" Damien gave her a quizzical look. "Never heard of an Aere? Should've guessed." She shrugged and pointed at the forests. "That's the monster that nearly took your life. They look like logs and that's how they bring in their prey. Nasty fuckers. One slashed open my eye, I'm sure I'll be blind in my right eye for the rest of my long life." She brushed her hand over her eye and winced slightly as it was still tender.

"You're a Hunter?"

Jay nodded. "Yeah, been one officially for two years. Prior to that I was just a trainee. You still go out an' hunt but with a more experienced Hunter with you." Monster Hunters were extraordinarily rare in Derendia and Damien had never met one before. It made sense to him as to why she was in the forests, and why she had scars. He was about to ask her why she was in Derendia but she beat him to it. "I'm just going around, providing my services. I'm just a vagabond. In a week or so I'll be out of your hair." Damien frowned. A week was not enough time to plan a banquet and host it. He shook his head.

"No. You will stay here in the castle till a banquet is held in your honor. You saved my life and my father has _insisted_ on celebrating you for such a feat." She began to protest but Damien didn't budge. "I refuse to listen to you. My word is final. I'll have someone set you up a room, you will be free to roam the castle and do whatever you wish to do."

"And if I leave?"

"I'll find you and drag you back here myself."


End file.
